56 英翻中 Be wise about personal prorities 有關個人做事優先次序 3/05/2025
CHAPTER EIGHT Be wise about personal prorities 1 Corinthians 9 第八章 明智地對待個人優先事項 哥林多前書 9
This chapter deals with Paul’s policy of financial support, and it appears to be an interruption of his discussion of “meats offered to idols.” Actually, it is not an interruption; it is an illustration of the very principles that he presents in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10. Paul used himself as an illustration of the mature use of liberty: he was free to receive financial support from the Corinthian church, yet he set aside that right in order to achieve a higher goal. 本章討論了保羅的財政支持政策，似乎打斷了他關於「祭偶像之物」的討論。事實上，這並不是一種幹擾；它正是他在《哥林多前書》第 8 章和第 10 章中提出的原則的例證。保羅以自己為例，說明了自由的成熟運用：他可以自由地從哥林多教會獲得經濟支持，但為了實現更高的目標，他放棄了這項權利。
Keep in mind that, for the most part, the Greeks despised manual labor. They had slaves to do manual labor so that the citizens could enjoy sports, philoso[1]phy, and leisure. The Jews, of course, magnified honest labor. Even the learned rabbis each practiced a trade, and they taught the people, “He who does not teach his son to work, teaches him to be a thief.” Paul was trained as a tentmaker, a worker in leather. In order to illustrate the Christian use of personal rights, Paul presented a twofold defense of his financial policy as a servant of Christ. 請記住，大多數希臘人都鄙視體力勞動。他們用奴隸來從事體力勞動，以便公民可以享受體育、哲學[1]和休閒。當然，猶太人推崇誠實的勞動。甚至博學的拉比也各自從事一門手藝，他們教導人們：「不教兒子工作，就是教他做小偷。」保羅接受過帳篷製造師和皮革工人的訓練。為了說明基督徒如何運用個人權利，保羅作為基督的僕人，對他的財務政策進行了雙重辯護。
1. He Defended His Right to Receive Support (9:1–14) 1. 他捍衛自己獲得贍養的權利（9:1-14）
In this
first half of the chapter, Paul proved that he had the right to receive
financial support from the church at
His
apostleship (vv. 1–6). The word apostle means “one sent under commission” and
refers primarily to the twelve apostles and Paul. These men had a special
commission, along with the New Testament prophets, to lay the foundation of the
church (Eph.
The
apostles also were given the ability to perform special signs and wonders to
attest the message that they preached (Heb. 2:4). Paul had performed such
miracles during his ministry in
Therefore,
as an apostle, Paul had the right to receive support from the people to whom he
ministered. (The word power is used six times in this chapter, and means
“authority, right.”) The apostle was the representative of Christ; he deserved
to be welcomed and cared for. Paul was unmarried; but if he’d had a wife, she
too would have had the right to be supported by the church. Peter was a married
man (Mark
Paul also had the right to devote his full time to the ministry of the Word. He did not have to make tents. The other apostles did not work to support themselves because they gave themselves completely to the ministry of the Word. However, both Paul and Barnabas labored with their own hands to support not only themselves, but also the men who labored with them. 保羅也有權利將自己全部的時間奉獻給傳道事工。他不必搭建帳篷。其他使徒不需要工作來養活自己，因為他們完全獻身於傳道事業。然而，保羅和巴拿巴都親手工作，不僅養活自己，也養活與他們一起勞動的人.
Human experience (v. 7). Everyday experience teaches us that a workman deserves some reward for his labors. If a man is drafted to be a soldier, the government pays his wages and provides a certain amount of supplies for him. The man who plants a vineyard gets to eat the fruit, just as the shepherd or herdsman has the right to use the milk from the animals. 人類經驗（第 7 節）。日常經驗告訴我們，工人應該為其勞動獲得一些報酬。如果一個人被徵召入伍，政府就會支付他的工資並提供一定數額的補給。栽種葡萄園的人得到吃水果，就像牧羊人或牧民有權使用動物的奶。
Perhaps in the
back of his mind, Paul was comparing the church to an army, a vineyard, and a
flock. As an apostle, Paul was in the very front line of the battle. He had already compared the church at
The Old Testament law (vv. 8–12). The Old Testament was the “Bible” of the early church, since the New
Testament was in the process of being written.
The first believers found guidance in the spiritual principles of the
law, even though they had been liberated from obeying the commandments of the
law.
Paul quoted Deuteronomy 25:4 to prove his point. (He quoted this same verse when he wrote to Timothy and encouraged the church to pay their ministers adequately, 1 Tim. 5:17–18.) Since oxen cannot read, this verse was not written for them. Nor was it written only for the farmer who was using the labors of the ox. It would be cruel for the farmer to bind the mouth of the ox and prevent him from eating the available grain. 保羅引用了《申命記》第 25 章第 4 節來證明他的觀點。 （他在寫給提摩太的信中引用了同一節經文，並鼓勵教會向牧師支付足夠的工資，提摩太前書 5：17-18。）由於牛不能讀書，所以這節經文不是為它們寫的。它也不僅僅是為那些使用牛的勞動的農民寫的。對於農民來說，綁住牛的嘴並阻止牠吃掉可用的穀物是殘忍的。
After all, the ox
was doing the work. Paul correctly saw a
spiritual principle in this commandment: The laborer has the right to share in
the bounties. The ox had plowed the soil in preparation for sowing, and now he
was treading out the grain that had been harvested. Paul had plowed the soil in
First Corinthians
We have reason to believe that Paul did accept financial support from other churches. The Philippian believers sent him two gifts when he went to Thessalonica (Phil.
Old Testament practice (v. 13). The priests and Levites lived off of the sacrifices and offerings that were brought to the temple. The regulations governing their part of the offerings, and the special tithes they received also are found in Numbers 18:8–32; Leviticus
The teaching of Jesus (v. 14). Paul was no doubt referring to our Lord’s words recorded in Luke 10:7–8 and Matthew 10:10. The Corinthians did not have a copy of either gospel to refer to, but the Lord’s teaching would have been given to them as a part of the oral tradition shared by the apostles. The laborer is worthy of his hire is a fundamental principle that the church dare not neglect. 耶穌的教導（第 14 節）。保羅無疑是在引用路加福音 10:7-8 和馬太福音 10:10 中所記載的主的話。哥林多人沒有這兩本福音書的副本可以參考，但主的教導可能是透過口傳的方式傳給他們的。使徒們所共有的傳統。工人得工價是應保羅有權（正確）獲得物質支持，但作為一個成熟的基督徒，他在權威和紀律之間取得平衡。他沒有權利放棄他在基督裡的自由，但他有放棄他的權利的自由。現在我們明白了他為什麼這樣寫：他為哥林多信徒提供了一個他所寫的原則的活生生的例子。教會中較強壯的信徒不應該為了較弱的聖徒而放棄自己的權利嗎？ 吃肉比教化教會重要嗎？
Paul certainly proved his point. His five arguments proved conclusively that he had the right to expect the Corinthian believers to support him in his ministry when he was with them. Yet he had deliberately refused their support. Why? This he explained in the second part of his defense. 保羅確實證明了他的觀點。他的五個論點最終證明，他有權期望哥林多信徒在他與哥林多信徒在一起時支持他的事工。然而他卻故意拒絕了他們的支持。為什麼？他在第二個辯護部分作解釋。
2. He Defended His Right to Refuse Support (
Paul had the authority (right) to receive material support, but being a mature Christian, he balanced his authority with discipline. He did not have the right to give up his liberty in Christ, but he did have the liberty to give up his rights. Now we understand why he wrote as he did: he gave the Corinthian believers a living example of the very principles he was writing about. Should not the stronger believers in the church be able to set aside their rights for the sake of the weaker saints? Was eating meat more important than edifying the church? 保羅有權（正確）獲得物質支持，但作為一個成熟的基督徒，他在權威和紀律之間取得平衡。他沒有權利放棄他在基督裡的自由，但他有放棄他的權利的自由。現在我們明白了他為什麼這樣寫：他為哥林多信徒提供了一個他所寫的原則的活生生的例子。教會中較強壯的信徒不應該為了較弱的聖徒而放棄自己的權利嗎？ 吃肉比教化教會重要嗎？
Paul was talking
about priorities, the things that are really important to us in our
lives. It is unfortunate that some Christians have their personal priorities
confused and, as a result, are hindering the work of Christ. If each believer
were practicing Matthew
A lady sent a gift to a ministry and explained that it was money she had saved because she had turned off the hot water tank in her house. She also did without a daily paper so that she might have more to give to the Lord’s work. When she took a bath, she heated the water on the stove, “just the way we did it when we were kids.” The Lord may not call all of us to this kind of sacrifice, but her example is worthy of respect. 一位女士向一個部門送了一份禮物，並解釋說這是她關掉家裡的熱水箱而省下的錢。她也不看日報，好讓有更多的錢奉獻給主的工作。當她洗澡時，她會在爐子上燒水，「就像我們小時候所做的那樣。」上帝可能不會要求我們所有人做出這樣的犧牲，但她的榜樣值得尊敬。
Paul gave three reasons that explained why he had refused support from the Corinthian church.保羅給了三個理由來解釋他為何拒絕哥林多教會的支持。
For the
gospel’s sake (vv. 15–18). Paul did not want to “hinder the gospel of Christ”
(1 Cor.
For
that matter, when Paul added “neither have I written these things” (1 Cor.
Paul could not claim any credit for preaching the gospel, because he had been called of God to preach. “Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). God had given him a divine stewardship (“dispensation”), and “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2). God would see to it that Paul would receive his wages (reward—same word translated “hire” in Luke 10:7). 保羅不能因傳福音而居功，因為他是受上帝呼召來傳福音的。 「我必須這樣做；是的，如果我不傳福音，我就有禍了！」（哥林多前書 9:16） 上帝給了他神聖的管家職分（「使命」），並且「所求於管家的，是要他有忠心」（哥林多前書 4:2）。上帝會確保保羅得到他的工資（獎賞－在路加福音 10:7 中與翻譯為「僱用」的字相同）。
What was Paul’s reward? The joy of preaching the gospel without charge! This meant that no man could accuse him of underhanded motives or methods as he shared the good news of Jesus Christ. 保羅的獎賞是什麼？免費傳福音的喜樂！這意味著當他傳播耶穌基督的福音時，沒有人可以指責他有卑鄙的動機或手段。
It is unfortunate when the ministry of the gospel is sometimes hindered by an overemphasis on money. The unsaved world is convinced that most preachers and missionaries are only involved in “religious rackets” to take money from innocent people. No doubt there are religious racketeers in the world today (1 Tim. 6:3–16), people who use religion to exploit others and control them. We would certainly not agree with their purposes or their practices. We must make sure that nothing we do in our own ministry gives the impression that we are of their number. 不幸的是，福音事工有時會因過度強調金錢而受到阻礙。未得救的世界確信，大多數傳道者和宣教士參與「宗教詐騙」只是為了從無辜的人身上騙取金錢。毫無疑問，當今世界上存在著宗教敲詐者（提摩太前書 6：3-16），他們利用宗教來剝削和控制他人。我們當然不會同意他們的目的或做法。我們必須確保我們在自己的部門所做的任何事情都不會給人留下我們是他們中的一員的印象。當的，這是教會不敢忽視的基本原則。
A wrong
attitude toward money has hindered the gospel from the earliest days of the
church. Ananias and Sapphira loved money more than they loved the truth, and
God killed them (Acts 5). Simon the magician thought he could buy the gift of
the Spirit with money (Acts
For the sinners’ sake (vv. 19–23). What a paradox: free from all men, yet the servant of all men! “Ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). Because he was free, Paul was able to serve others and to set aside his own rights for their sake. 為了罪人的緣故（19-23節）。多麼矛盾啊：不受任何人束縛，卻又是所有人的僕人！ 「我們因耶穌作你們的僕人」（哥林多後書 4:5）。因為保羅是自由的，所以他能夠為他人服務，並為了他人的利益放棄自己的權利。
It is unfortunate that the phrase “all things to all men” (1 Cor. 9:22) has been used and abused by the world and made to mean what Paul did not intend for it to mean. Paul was not a chameleon who changed his message and methods with each new situation. Nor was Paul a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience. He was an ambassador, not a politician! 不幸的是，「向所有的人，就是所有的人」這句話（哥林多前書 9:22）被世人濫用，並被誤解為保羅原本要表達的意思。保羅不是一個變色龍，他不會隨著每個新情況而改變他的信息和方法。保羅也不是一個妥協者，他不會為了取悅聽眾而調整自己的訊息。他是一位大使，不是政客！
Paul
was a Jew who had a great burden for his own people (
What
separated Jews and Gentiles in that day? The law and the covenants (Eph.
Was Paul behaving in an inconsistent manner? Of course not. He simply adapted his approach to different groups. When you read his sermons in the book of Acts, you see this wise adaptation. When he preached to Jews, he started with the Old Testament patriarchs; but when he preached to Gentiles, he began with the God of creation. Paul did not have a “stock sermon” for all occasions. 保羅的行為是否前後矛盾？當然不是。他只是針對不同的群體調整了自己的方法。當你閱讀《使徒行傳》中他的講道時，你會看到這個明智的改編。當他向猶太人傳教時，他從舊約的族長開始；但當他向外邦人傳道時，他首先談到創造之神。保羅並沒有適合所有場合的「固定佈道」。
It is worth noting that our Lord followed the same approach. To the highborn Jew, Nicodemus, He talked about spiritual birth (John 3); but to the Samaritan woman, He spoke about living water (John 4). Jesus was flexible and adaptable, and Paul followed His example. Neither Jesus nor Paul had an inflexible “evangelistic formula” that was used in every situation. 值得注意的是，我們的主也採取了同樣的做法。他向出身高貴的猶太人尼哥底母談論了屬靈的重生（約翰福音 3 章）；但對撒瑪利亞婦人，他談到了活水（約翰福音 4）。耶穌靈活且適應性強，保羅效法了他的榜樣。耶穌和保羅都沒有一套適用於所有情況的固定的「福音公式」。
It takes tact to have contact. When the people I wit[1]ness to tell me about their experience of confirmation, I tell them that I too was confirmed. I express my appreciation for the pastor who taught me and prayed for me. Then I tell them, “A year after I was confirmed, I met Jesus Christ personally and was born again.” A good witness tries to build bridges, not walls. 接觸需要技巧。當我見證[1]的人告訴我他們接受堅振禮的經驗時，我告訴他們，我也接受過堅振禮。我向教導我、為我禱告的牧師表示感謝。然後我告訴他們，「我受堅信禮一年後，親自見到了耶穌基督，並獲得了重生。」好的證人會努力建立橋樑，而不是築起高牆。
To immature people, Paul’s lifestyle probably looked inconsistent. In reality, he was very consistent, for his overriding purpose was to win people to Jesus Christ. Consistency can become a very legalistic thing, and a man can become so bound by man-made rules and standards that he has no freedom to minister. He is like young David trying to battle in Saul’s armor. 對於不成熟的人來說，保羅的生活方式可能看起來不一致。事實上，他非常始終如一，因為他的首要目的是讓人們信仰耶穌基督。一致性可能會變成一種非常法律化的事情，一個人可能會被人為的規則和標準所束縛，以至於他沒有自由去服務。他就像年輕的大衛一樣，試圖穿上掃羅的盔甲戰鬥。
Paul
had the right to eat whatever pleased him, but he gave up that right so that he
might win the Jews. Paul revered the law (see Rom.
For his own sake (vv. 24–27). Paul was fond of athletic images and used them often in his letters. The Corinthians would have been familiar with the Greek Olympic Games as well as their own local Isthmian Games. Knowing this, Paul used a metaphor very close to their experience. 為了他自己（24-27節）。保羅喜歡運動形象並經常在他的書信中使用它們。科林斯人一定對希臘奧運以及他們當地的地峽運動會很熟悉。保羅知道這一點，因此使用了一個與他們的經驗非常接近的比喻。
An athlete must be disciplined if he is to win the prize. Discipline means giving up the good and the better for the best. The athlete must watch his diet as well as his hours. He must smile and say “No, thank you” when people offer him fattening desserts or invite him to late-night parties. There is nothing wrong with food or fun, but if they interfere with your highest goals, then they are hindrances and not helps. 運動員要贏得獎品就必須嚴守紀律。紀律意味著放棄好的和更好的，而追求最好的。運動員必須注意飲食和作息時間。當人們給他發胖的甜點或邀請他參加深夜派對時，他必須微笑著說「不，謝謝」。美食和娛樂本身並沒有錯，但如果它們妨礙了你的最高目標，那麼它們就是障礙，而不是幫助。
The Christian does not run the race in order to get to heaven. He is in the race because he has been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Only Greek citizens were allowed to participate in the games, and they had to obey the rules both in their training and in their performing. Any contestant found breaking the training rules was automatically disqualified. 基督徒參加比賽並不是為了到達天堂。他參加比賽是因為他透過信仰耶穌基督而得救。只有希臘公民才被允許參加比賽，並且他們必須在訓練和表演中遵守規則。任何違反訓練規則的參賽者將自動取消資格。
In order to give up his rights and have the joy of winning lost souls, Paul had to discipline himself. That is the emphasis of this entire chapter: Authority (rights) must be balanced by discipline. If we want to serve the Lord and win His reward and approval, we must pay the price. 為了放棄自己的權利並享受拯救迷失靈魂的喜悅，保羅必須嚴於律己。這就是本章的重點：權威（權利）必須與紀律平衡。我們若要事奉主，得著主的賞賜和稱許，就必須付出代價。
The
word castaway (1 Cor.
Paul saw himself as both a “herald” and a “runner.” He was concerned lest he get so busy trying to help others in the race that he ignore himself and find him[1]self disqualified. Again, it was not a matter of losing personal salvation. (The disqualified Greek athlete did not lose his citizenship, only his opportunity to win a prize.) The whole emphasis is on rewards, and Paul did not want to lose his reward. 保羅視自己為「先驅」和「信差」。他擔心自己在比賽中太忙於幫助其他人而忽略了自己，並發現自己被取消了資格。 [1]再說了，這並不是失去個人救贖的問題。 （被取消資格的希臘運動員並沒有失去公民身份，只是失去了贏得獎品的機會。）整個重點在於獎勵，而保羅不想失去他的獎勵。
Only one runner could win the olive-wreath crown in the Greek games, but every believer can win an incorruptible crown when he stands before the judgment seat of Christ. This crown is given to those who discipline themselves for the sake of serving Christ and winning lost souls. They keep their bodies under control and keep their eyes on the goal. 在希臘運動會上，只有一名選手可以贏得橄欖花環冠冕，但每個信徒在站在基督的審判台前時都可以贏得不朽的冠冕。這頂王冠是授予那些為了侍奉基督和拯救迷失的靈魂而嚴於律己的人的。他們控制自己的身體並緊盯著目標。
In recent years, evangelical Christians have rediscovered the importance of personal discipline and the relationship between a disciplined body and a Spiritfilled life. We must, of course, avoid extremes. On the one hand, religious asceticism is unhealthy and of no value spiritually (Col. 2:18–23). But on the other hand, there is something to be said for disciplined eating, exercising, and resting, and a Spirit-directed balanced life. We smugly congratulate ourselves that we do not smoke or use alcohol, but what about our overeating and overweight? And many Christians cannot discipline their time so as to have a consistent devotional life or Bible-study program. 近年來，福音派基督徒重新發現了個人紀律的重要性以及自律的身體和充滿靈性的生活之間的關係。當然，我們必須避免走極端。一方面，宗教禁慾主義是不健康的，在精神上沒有任何價值（西 2:18-23）。但另一方面，規律的飲食、運動和休息以及以精神為導向的平衡生活也是值得稱讚的。我們沾沾自喜地慶幸自己不抽菸、不喝酒，但是我們暴飲暴食、超重怎麼辦呢？許多基督徒無法控制自己的時間來維持持續的靈修生活或聖經學習計畫。
Paul had one great goal in life: to glorify the Lord by winning the lost and building up the saints. To reach this goal, he was willing to pay any price. He was willing even to give up his personal rights! He sacrificed immediate gains for eternal rewards, immediate pleasures for eternal joys. 保羅一生中有一個偉大的目標：透過拯救迷失的人和建立聖徒來榮耀主。為了達到這個目標，他願意付出任何代價。他甚至願意放棄自己的個人權利！他犧牲眼前的利益來換取永恆的回報，犧牲眼前的快樂來換取永恆的歡樂。
